Hydration is essential for humans to survive and operate at optimal levels. For many reasons such as physical exertion, limited mobility and other health factors people can have a hard time staying adequately hydrated. In the healthcare settings dehydration is a constant concern and problem. For severe dehydration and patient immobility, intravenous hydration is generally provided, but due to possible infection and patient discomfort it is desirable to avoid if possible but at least transition to oral hydration as soon as possible. Dehydration increases the frequency and severity of many common health issues ranging from diabetes and heart disease to pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections to name just a few. People who are older or have suffered from stroke or dementia, have a reduced desire to drink and are particularly vulnerable to dehydration. Furthermore, dehydration has been shown to increase the length of patient stay in hospitals as well an increased mortality rate. Therefore, there remains a great need in the healthcare industry for safer and easier access to oral hydration to promote better health and outcomes for patients and reduce unnecessary spending.
In the medical field a basic pitcher, cup and a straw are generally provided for the patient. A cup and straw however require sufficient mobility and coordination from the patient, often leading to accidental spills and a reduced desire to drink adequate amounts of liquid. In addition, even mobile patients often do not have the energy and motivation required to frequently sit up and reach for their cup and pitcher. To address these deficiencies the patient must rely on help from a caregiver or nurse to fill the cup and even assist them with drinking. The patient is then dependent on the caregiver who is often very busy with other patients. This leads to inadequate hydration for the patient and increased workload for the caregiver. It is also difficult to keep an accurate record of the amount of liquid consumed. In addition a cup and pitcher are exposed to environmental contaminants and therefore there is risk of contaminating the fluid.
Many attempts have been made to improve oral hydration in the healthcare setting yet there remains deficiencies in the designs, there remains concerns related to ease of use for the patient and caregiver, and they can be costly. Previous hydration mounting systems are overly mechanical and very limiting in their adaptation to a variety of structures. Squeeze bulbs with a one-way valve have been utilized to move fluids through a tube for many different reasons. However, squeeze bulbs are hand operated, which can be difficult for a patient to operate. In addition, fluid transfer can be difficult to regulate since squeezing the bulbs often transfers large volumes of fluid. Additionally prior squeeze bulb configurations do not provide the added options for the user to bite down on the mouthpiece to inject fluid or simply draw fluid by sucking. Furthermore, prior squeeze bulbs are not molded as a single piece with a mouthpiece valve and require additional components therein that could become dislodged and become a choking hazard. Thus, adaptation of such systems provides challenges in that they do not provide for the variety of functional needs required by different user groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,790,296, entitled, “Patient Hydration System”, describes a patient hydration system having a bladder, flexible tube, safety guard handle, and a mouthpiece. The patient can either draw liquid through the flexible tube and mouthpiece, or the bladder can be hung from an IV tree to utilize gravity for delivering liquid to the mouthpiece. Liquid flow is regulated using a bite-valve, where biting opens the valve to permit flow of liquids, and when the bite is released the flow stops. While biting the valve can stop and start the flow of fluid, the rate of flow is dictated largely by the gravitational force exerted on the fluid. Thus, when the valve is open a patient may receive too much liquid too fast creating a choking hazard. Additionally this system is not convenient to disconnect the supply tube and reservoir to refill.
US Publication 2014/0050816, entitled, “Hydration System” describes a patient hydration system with a fluid reservoir connected by a tube and terminating at a valved mouthpiece. Liquid is transferred through the tubing using gravity or suction. The flow of fluid can be regulated using a bite valve or a hand valve biased in the closed position. A removable holder and safety ring is coupled to the tube to facilitate gripping and sanitation with a very similar design to U.S. Pat. No. 8,790,296 B2. A mouthpiece is described as being of sufficient size to stay in the user's mouth to fit behind the lips or teeth of the subject. A supply tube with a bendable quality is described as attaching to a reservoir.
US Publication 20130161350, entitled, “Medical Patient Oral Hydration System” describes an oral hydration system including a hydration water bladder with a holster and rotatable semi rigid boom. A supply tube connects to the reservoir and terminates in a backflow prevention bite valve. This system is overly complicated and limited in its ability to mount to a variety of structures. Additionally, a user must provide enough suction to initially prime a supply tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,405, entitled, “Drinking Device for Handicapped Persons” describes a reusable hydration system with a fluid source and bendable tube with a mouthpiece that can be positioned near the users mouth for easy access. A mounting bracket and plate support the fluid bottle and provide means for it to be hung from and IV tree. A one-way valve is utilized to maintain fluid in the supply tube.
Hydration systems are also used in outdoor sporting goods; however, their designs suffer from similar deficiencies as the above medical devices. They frequently operate using a bite valve together with suction to deliver liquid from a reservoir. When the user releases pressure on the mouthpiece the valve closes preventing liquid from leaking out. However, for people exercising or on the move, it is often difficult to use a hand to grab the mouthpiece and forego much needed breathing to suck on the mouthpiece to receive fluids.
Therefore, there remains a need for an improved hydration systems that safely and conveniently deliver liquids to individuals or patients in need of hydration.